COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio health officials say school districts will not be allowed to use face shields rather than facial coverings or masks in most cases as a means of curbing coronavirus transmission as schools get ready to start the 2020-21 academic year.
The Ohio Department of Health on Saturday cited guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says there is currently not enough evidence to establish the effectiveness of face shields.
Officials said face shields may be an option for those exempted from the face covering requirement or in some circumstances such as the need for lip reading.
The state reports 775 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 — the second day in a row of dramatically fewer new cases than the preceding day — for a total of 109,062. There have been 3,832 fatal cases and there are currently 17,466 active cases.